Luke Cage, Marvel's latest foray into television, is now fully available to stream on Netflix. Luke, bulletproof denizen of Harlem, made his first appearance on Jessica Jones, and like Jessica, his world is a little more down-to-earth and gritty than your typical superhero. I spoke with Luke Cage's costume designer Stephanie Maslansky regarding her work on the show, her thoughts on traditional superhero attire, and how to stay unnoticed when you're bulletproof.

You’ve worked on all of Marvel’s television adaptations so far, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and the upcoming Iron Fist. What do you like about working with Marvel and superheroes in general?

Well, first of all, I enjoy the collaboration. I love the people I work with, I love the world that’s been created, the Marvel interconnected universe. And I love the characters I get to work on. The beauty is that every character so far has been so different. They all share the same universe but their characters are completely different, the tone is different. And the challenge is how to establish character through their choice of everyday wear.

The Luke Cage comics have a very exaggerated, 70’s vibe to them whereas the show is a lot more subdued. Did you have another visual source to draw your inspiration from?

Well, as I said before, it’s a collaboration. Marvel is like a big melting pot of ideas. You have input from everybody, the producers, the actors. I present an idea and I get pitched an idea. It’s a back-and-forth dialogue. You have inspiration from the real world, recent events that have been in the news. The image of a bulletproof African American in a hoodie - that in itself is a powerful statement, it’s empowering. And of course, there’s Harlem itself. Harlem has such a rich and interesting history. There’s so much to draw on.

Luke tries to blend in. (Credit: Marvel)

Why the hoodie?

That was an idea pitched to me from the start, by [showrunner] Cheo Hodari Coker. As soon as he said that, I instantly understood what he wanted to do, what he was trying to create. There’s the character aspect, of Luke wanting to disappear and blend in with everybody else. He pulls the hood up, to cover his face. And going back to the image, the powerful image of an African American superhero in a hoodie. And there’s actually a practical aspect to the hoodie. It’s comfortable, it stretches. It’s ideal for stunt work.

In episode 4 there was a nod to Luke Cage’s original costume. Is the hoodie staying on or is Luke going to become more flamboyant as his confidence grows?

No, we gave a nod to the fans, and the fans appreciated that. And we acknowledge that he looks a little silly, in that outfit, in a modern setting. He recreated that outfit by literally grabbing whatever piece of clothing was available to him as he broke out. (Laughs). And that was a lot of fun, referencing that. But we’re staying true to the character we’ve established, the humble guy who’s conflicted by his fame and status as a hero. And that means sticking to the same idea, the desire to blend in.

Luke's original costume. Not subtle. (Credit: Marvel)

Jessica Jones and Luke Cage don’t have a traditional superhero costume like Daredevil. Do you think that helps make them more relatable?

Yes, actually, it does. Daredevil started out in that black vigilante costume, he had a practical reason to change into the iconic red suit. He needed it to be tough, he needed to provide protection for himself. And with Jessica Jones, she’s very grounded. She doesn’t care to dress up. She wants to wear whatever is lying around in her room. We had that episode where Trish Walker asks her, why don’t you dress in this costume and call yourself Jewel? And of course, she dismisses it. She laughs. And again, going back to Luke being a sort of everyman. He’s a working class hero, and that comes across in the clothes he wears. He dresses in Rag &Bone T-shirts, in Levis jeans. Clothes that already have this beautiful kind of worn, textured look to them. These characters, they have these abilities forced upon them, they don’t want this responsibility. And that comes across in the subdued way they present themselves.

Cottonmouth’s suits are a complete contrast to Luke’s hoodie. What do the sharp suits say about him?

Well, they’re two different personalities, and they have very different budgets. And that comes across in Cottonmouth’s tailored suits. He’s flashy, he wants to be noticed, he wants everyone in the room to look at him and understand that he’s the most powerful person there. And of course, Luke’s the opposite. He’d rather not be seen. And his power stems from himself, rather than his money, or his influence.

Cottonmouth stays sharp. (Credit: Marvel)

You’re redesigning some very popular characters. How’s the response from the fans so far?

The fans have been wonderful. They really appreciate and enjoy what we’re doing and they've been very receptive so far. We like to give the fans Easter eggs they can discover as they watch - it makes them remember the comic books. Things like Luke’s yellow shirt, or Misty's final look.

The elegant Misty Knight (Credit: Marvel)

Were there any small details you added that the audience may not have noticed?

There was a worry that we were going too over the top, too comic-booky, by dressing Cottonmouth in that green suit, in his first appearance. I was worried that it was too flamboyant. So in that first scene we had him in that subtle shade of green, then we included green in other ways. Like the beautiful earrings he wears, they have emeralds in the center. He always has a subtle piece of green, somewhere, little things that reference that snake-like aspect to his character. The audience might not notice it, but it makes a difference to the actor when they put on that outfit and say, that’s it. That’s the character. Little details that the audience might not notice, but we know they're there.

Cottonmouth shows his venomous side. (Credit: Marvel)

As we move closer to The Defenders, are we going to start seeing some more traditional superhero outfits, or are these characters staying in civilian clothes?

I can’t say anything about The Defenders. (Laughs).

Do you find traditional superhero costumes interesting?

I find the day-to-day outfits interesting. Because the costume is more of a symbol, it’s literally a mask. But the choice of what to put on in the morning, how to present themselves to the world, really speaks volumes about who they are.